Carbon-Steel
by Nigel Yearning
Summary: Smugleaf saw how her knife cuts, it slices through flesh like butter. She liked how they sing, even how they squeal their last breath. But that was only the beginning. Based off Keijimatsu's "Psycho Snivy" comics on deviantArt.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that were created by someone else**

**Notice: For news and updates about my stories, go to my profile**

_Chapter I_

"Well," she asked, her voice twanged with a notable country accent, "are you done?"

The other Snivy gave her a drunken smile as he wobbled on his legs. His pupils spun around in circles, trying to stay straight. He balanced his tiny hands on his knees as he shook the cobwebs out of his head, "Sniv." he nodded. _Yup_.

Amazingly her own kind _can_ remain cool under stress, especially an idiot. Grass Snake Pokémon were always cool-headed, so cool a Darmanitan couldn't warm them up. No way a Snivy would loose their temper under normal circumstances, like a Pokémon battle for instance. Humans come to think of Snivies as absolute scumbags, stereotyping them as Pokémon – with nothing better to do – than to piss people off.

She licked her lips and watched as her male counterpart struggle to walk. It was hilarious, his stupidity made it better. With knees bent, the Snivy took a few steps toward some bushes. Predictably he lost his footing and went down like a sack of bricks.

She laughed a silly school-girl laugh that would warm the heart of whoever heard it. She uncoiled a vine from her back and wrapped it around the stoned Snivy's neck. She gently picked the Snivy up and held him in front of her. Her eyes met his, she could tell he was staring at her freckles. All males do. The charm was so easy to pull.

"You okay?" she asked.

The Snivy grinned, "Snivy." _Yes._

She saw the first signs that her spell was fading. They were so small, and so minute, only a well trained Pokémon could detect it. It always starts with the pupils, she doesn't know why. Under the full effects of Attract, the pupils dilate, giving out that heart's effect momentary before settling into a trance-like love state. She could see the Snivy's pupils shrinking now, sooner than expected. She sighed, looks like their won't be enough time for the after-foreplay. Oh well, she wasn't in the mood for it anyway.

To come to think of it, all that effort into working the Snivy made her hungry, very hungry. Her stomach was knotting up, getting ready to growl a rumbly groan. Well, lunch time was just a few minutes away. Maybe she would go out into the woods and search for food . . . or . . .

"Snivy Sniv?" the Snivy asked with a hint of love, his legs dangled as she held him a few centimeters off the ground. _What's your name?_

She grinned, blushing slightly. Not too many people and Pokémon ask for her name. They would just call her "Snivy" and that was it. It annoyed her, but she didn't complain. This clumsy male had the courtesy to ask her for a name, which was good. She was unique, obviously. Anyone could tell just by looking at her. She held him closer, their noses almost touching. The male grinned. She leaned forward and whispered gently into his ear.

"Smugleaf."

Her vines clamped down on his neck, cutting off his airway. The knife went in next, sunk deep into his chest. The Snivy's eyes bulge out of his skull, caught by surprise.

Smugleaf stuck the blade just underneath the Snivy's ribcage, jamming it up into his heart. Sometimes she would puncture a lung or two as the heart gets lacerated, or a major blood vessel gets severed. It didn't matter as long as the heart gets punctured. The tip of Smugleaf's knife had struck home, she could feel the vibrating pulse through the blade as it struggle to beat. The heart's a tough muscle, it will keep on beating no matter what for a few minutes after death. Sink a thick nail into one and it wouldn't notice, pull it out and the walls of the heart plug the hole, like it never even existed.

But Smugleaf wasn't using a nail. It was a knife, more than 15cm long and structured like a machete. The blade was carbon-impregnated stainless steel. Strong stuff that never rusts. The handle was made out of carbon-fiber with a diamond pattern surface for better a better grip. It felt comfortable in Smugleaf's small hands, and it felt _good_.

She gave the knife a sharp twist, the Snivy convulsed, kicking his legs, desperate to escape his fantasy turned nightmare. No good. His face turned blue as he let out his death groans. Smugleaf felt his heart gave out, the Snivy went slack the moment it stopped beating.

Smugleaf stroke the back of the dead Snivy's head and kissed him on the cheek. His eyelids twitched rapidly, almost like he was in deep sleep. Many Pokémon who suddenly die do that, those tiny involuntary nervous system responses start up when she hits their off-switch, probably from the lack of oxygen. She took another look at his face, he appeared quite relaxed.

Aww, he look so adorable when dead.

"So cute." she commented before dislodging the knife from the Snivy's chest.

The blade made a sickly plop sound as it came out, blood trickled out of the fatal wound like maple syrup, clinging tight to his skin. Ah, a clean kill. Wonderful. She uncoiled her vine and dropped the body on the ground, then retract the vine into her back. Smugleaf held up her knife. Bright red blood dripped from the tip onto the forest floor, glistening underneath the rays of the sun. She stuck her tongue out and dragged it across its sticky surface. Mmm, the coppery iron taste felt invigorating, way better than after-foreplay. Smugleaf stirred her tongue around the inside of her mouth, amplifying the blood taste, then swallowed.

"Shame its too late to do seconds," she told the corpse, "at least I won't go hungry today, great to have you over for lunch."

Smugleaf licked her bloody knife a few more times, then wiped it on the grass. Most of the blood came off, but it was deeply stained. She would clean it more thoroughly later, she wasn't quite done with it yet. Smugleaf flipped the knife around and stuck it back into its holster. The holster was made out of tan leather, held tight to her back with two straps crisscrossing over her chest. She made the holster herself, out of the hides of a Boufalant and Tepig. She grinned, remembering how good that Tepig tasted after roosting its plump body over a fire for two hours. Mmm Mm, that Tepig was tasty.

She grabbed the dead Snivy by the tail and dragged him off. Somewhere in the forest, Smugleaf must make camp. Preferably near a river where she could clean up. Other Pokémon might be out there just to take a drink, so it would be smart enough to put the camp a hundred meters from the river. That way, she won't had to walk that far to the river, yet not interrupt other Pokémon with her activities. They don't need to see her handling a body of her own kind.

Smugleaf searched the forest, making calculations in her head to figure out the best possible place to set up camp. She wanted a place with a lot of foliage and shade, that would be a good place to set up camouflage and stay cool in this hot summer day. An added bonus was she had all the privacy she would ever need, out of sight and out mind from the curious. Smugleaf smiled, she couldn't help it. She was feeling happy today, she just got laid and was about to have a big lunch. It was all she could hope for. Most days she would have one, not both. Having both was a luxury, a _special_ luxury. Today she struck a gold mine, killing two birds with one stone. Smugleaf felt proud, her charm and skills finally paid off once again.

She looked back at the corpse. The dead Snivy's tongue hanged out, his arms dragging behind him while his feet stuck up in the air. This Snivy was quite generous, really generous. Smugleaf was just leaving Nimbasa City after a quick tour when she stumbled into him without warning, spooking the daylights out of him. The Snivy didn't resist when Smugleaf blew Attract at him. Hearts quickly blossomed in his eyes, and Smugleaf wasted no time getting down and dirty. Really down and dirty. It went on for 20 minutes, yet it felt like hours. Tongues crossed, vines curled. She couldn't had it any better.

The Snivy, being generous as always, was willing to come with her for lunch. How nice of him to provide all the food. But of course, he wasn't the only one. Pokémon before him, mostly male, were so generous to spend quality time with Smugleaf. The females weren't too sure about her intentions, since Attract didn't really persuade them. Nonetheless, Smugleaf managed to persuade them when she showed them her knife.

_Tricky, tricky_, she recalled the quality time with them, _very tricky, need a vine or two cause they __were so picky_.

Ah yes, Vine Whip, when all else fails for leisure, Vine Whip succeeds. Helps her get a better hold on them, draw them closer. Dig in deep, real deep. Hear them sing their aw's and oh's. Good times, good old times. The _best _of times. No wait, better than ever of all time!

Especially when she finished it off with that smooth-edged toy of hers.

Smugleaf pushed through some shrubbery, the wild vegetation struggled to grab the corpse as she dragged it by, she gave it a hard pull and the corpse broke through. Smugleaf pressed on. Suddenly she walked into a small cleared area. It looked like the vegetation was ripped up and the soil matted down. The dirt patch was just two meters wide, fairly long enough for Smugleaf to stretch out and lay down. Whoever once lived here was long gone now, it looked like it hadn't been used in weeks. She stood in the middle and looked out through the vegetation. She couldn't see the bark through the foliage, looks like that saved her a lot of work on camouflaging this place.

Next to this patch was a large boulder, stretching 5 meters wide and 40 meters tall. Smugleaf stared up at it, the boulder's face was etched in moss and slime. Slippery stuff. No Pokémon could climb that, unless they fly. Smugleaf hadn't seen any flying Pokémon for 3 hours now, they were probably sticking to the canopy. No need to worry about them.

"This is the spot," Smugleaf said to herself, "this would do."

She sat the corpse aside and began digging a small pit with her knife. Smugleaf scooped deep, getting a clod each time she dug. She felt sweat form on her forehead as she fought against the hard earth. It was hard work in digging the pit, Smugleaf had to use a bit of muscles in her scrawny arms. It was difficult, but she got it done in 5 minutes. After smoothing out the pit, Smugleaf searched the nearby area for stones, then placed them in a ring around the pit. When the ring was complete, Smugleaf started gathering bundles of firewood. She searched for the driest branches and anything that could catch ablaze. Smugleaf picked up what she thought was dry wood and gathered it up in a bundle. Using her long slender vines, she carried it back to her camp and sat it down.

Smugleaf reached behind her back and removed the flint & steel from her knife's holster. It was two tiny pieces of rock and metal she found in a river up north, tucked away in the holster in case she needed it. It hadn't been used in a while, she wondered if it still produces sparks. After putting together a small bundle of kindling, Smugleaf held the flint firm against it before striking the bit of steel across its surface. In a couple strokes, bright yellow sparks struck the kindling and caught fire. She crouched down and gently blow into it, the small bundle of smoke blume into a small ember. Smugleaf used her vines to put together the firewood on the pit while she tended to the ember. She smiled, the small ember would help cook her kill, bringing out the enzymes to give it flavor. Smugleaf rubbed her belly at the thought, she made a mental note not to waste any meat.

She picked up the small ember and placed it in the fire pit, the ember slowly engulfed the firewood. Smoke plume towards the canopy, hugging the boulder's face. Smugleaf was sure that nobody could see the smoke, let alone smell it. The thick trees would keep it contained.

As the fire was getting ready for a stable burn, Smugleaf laid the dead Snivy on his back, she gripped her knife and hovered the tip over his chin. Shame she had to cut open his body, he was that good looking. Who knows? He might be good looking on the inside as well as the outside. She glanced at the knife, the blade flashed into her eyes as she tilted it. Was it sharp enough to cut the Snivy's hide? Had to be. She sharpened it yesterday.

Smugleaf pressed the tip against the dead Snivy's chin, then dragged it down across his belly down to the tip of his tail. It left a red laceration behind, Smugleaf took her thumb and stuck it in the cut. She tried to pull the skin apart, the skin peeled off to reveal pink flesh coated with white fatty tissue. Okay, her knife was sharp enough after all. No need to make a 2nd drag. Smugleaf sat her knife down and muscled the skin apart, she reached in and felt around the dead Snivy's back and grabbed his tail. She then stepped on his leafy tail and pulled at the pink flesh. It was easier than she thought, the pink tail broke free from the skin. Smugleaf gave another pull and pulled the skin off the legs, then off the torso. She had to make a few more cuts around the arms before pulling them off the hide. Finally the head was the toughest, there wasn't too much fat around the skull. It wasn't that difficult, Smugleaf gave it one final pull and the hide broke free.

If Pokémon could ever be more naked, this was the way to do it. Smugleaf checked the inside of the hide and smiled, it was another clean skinning. Maybe she could stuff the hide, use it as a comfort doll perhaps. Or she could sell it on the black market, get a few Pokédollars for it. But hey, were Pokédollars useful to her? If she just keeps her mouth shut, or use her Pokémon language, she could get by in the markets, assuming the humans won't stare at the knife strapped to her back.

She sat the hide aside and glanced at Snivy, his pinkish muscles made him look butt naked and soft. Smugleaf took her knife and made an incision down his belly, then pried it open. The internal organs were exposed. Not quite as organized as the wall charts and models, but close enough. Smugleaf reached in for the stomach, cut off the esophagus, then tie a knot into it. She pulled it out of the abdominal cavity, along with the intestines. Smugleaf cut his anus and freed the gastrointestinal tract. It was already beginning to smell, Smugleaf shoved it all in the fire pit. It would take some time to incinerate the organs, hopefully they don't give off a really bad smell.

Next came the liver, the gallbladder, pancreas, spleen, the kidneys in the back. Oh, look at that. Genitals. Male ones. Smugleaf pulled out the testes and held them up, the bloody marble-sized glands seemed tasty enough. She sat that aside in a separate pile and placed the liver, spleen, and kidneys with it. Smugleaf turn back to the body and cut the diaphragm, then reached inside the chest cavity and pulled out out the heart. She held it up, it felt more like a stiff rubber ball then a fleshy mass. It was strong. Supposed to be. If she were to cremate the entire body, the heart would be the last to burn. Smugleaf wasn't sure why, maybe the toughness was similar to fireproof clothing or something. That was something to look up on her free time, when she gets the chance.

She sat the heart with the edible organs. Smugleaf reached back into the chest cavity and individually pulled out the lungs. They were delicate, like a sponge. Nothing like the heart. Maybe that was how the organs absorb the oxygen from the air. The tiny air sacs must be soft, and clean too. Hm, the environment was clean around here, so his lungs shouldn't be affected by air pollution. If there were any at all.

With the internal organs removed, Smugleaf grabbed a nearby stick, a rather long one. She sharpened the tip to a point, then shoved that point down the dead Snivy's throat. It came out the end of the tail within a moment, Smugleaf pushed the body till it was in the center. Okay, its ready. She grabbed to nearby sticks with Y ends, cut them half a meter, then shoved them on opposite sides of the fire pit. She got them in deep, she didn't want the sticks to fall over from the weight of the body. Finally Smugleaf hoisted the husk right on the Y sticks. She took a step back and marveled at her work.

_Now I just had to turn it over occasionally so it would cook properly_, Smugleaf thought, _I'm going to be eating well tonight_.

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that were created by someone else**

**Notice: For news and updates about my stories, go to my profile**

_Chapter II_

She laid on her back, moaning in pleasure. Smugleaf felt bloated from all that meat. As always, it was the best food she ever tasted. Her stomach could barely contain it, she had to sleep it off.

An hour later, she woke up feeling good about herself. Smugleaf sat up and stared at the remains of the Snivy. It was nothing but a pile of bones and tendons, the organs were stuck on sticks to dry off over the fire. She hadn't made organ jerky before, might as well experiment and see what she could come up with.

"I can't believe I ate all that," she said, placing a hand on her distended belly, "I must've been that hungry."

She was, or else she wouldn't attempted it. Previous Pokémon before always had their own flavor, all of which taste good when cooked right. Sometimes their meat would taste so good, she considered doing foreplay with the remains. Okay, she hadn't actually done it. She only thought of it. Smugleaf knew it wouldn't be the same for a live Pokémon. She looked at her hands, they were covered in grease, probably the melted fat from the dead Snivy. Her knife was in no better shape, it was covered in dried blood and dirt, lathered with the grease.

"I need to wash up," she thought aloud, "badly."

Her body was covered in blood, mud, and grease. Mostly around her arms where she handled the body. A Snivy walking around in such muck would surely draw attention. Smugleaf got to her feet and stretched her legs, then head off towards the river. She used the natural foliage to camouflage her moments, staying away from the local Pokémon trails. Birds tweeted up in the canopy, ignoring what goes down below. If any of those bird Pokémon decided to look down, they might pick Snivy out of the bush. Well, that would surely suck. She wasn't sure what they would do upon seeing Smugleaf covered in crap. Initially they would ask if she was alright or if something bad happened, because most Pokémon are softies. Then they would notice her knife, which was also covered in muck. And they would put the two to two together and she would have a fight on her hands, which could totally ruin her afternoon.

So far she hadn't seen any Pokémon, or humans for that matter. She wasn't too far away from the largest population cluster in the Unova region. Pokémon were one thing, but humans weren't so forgiving. They would nail her tail to the bark of a tree if they find her, assuming if they recognize her for who she was.

The sound of soft trickling water reached her ears, Smugleaf's ears perked. It was just up ahead, she pushed aside some leaves and the river revealed itself. It was shallow, at least 1/4th meter deep. She estimate it was at least a hundred meters wide and stretching all the way to the sea or a lake. Or somewhere where there was a body of water. Smugleaf stepped to the river's edge. It was crystal clear, she could see the sediment below. No sign that any Pokémon had been here in the past few hours, maybe even days. The river was fast yesterday, so it might of carried it all down river. This part of the forest wasn't that well populated, so she wouldn't be expecting company.

Smugleaf stepped into the shallow water, sediment was kicked up in a brown plume as her foot touched the bottom. She watched as the plume was carried off by the currents. Smugleaf smiled, not only can she bathed, she could take a drink as well. Drinking would come later, the muck needs to come off first. Smugleaf sat down on the sediment, the water leveled up to her neck. It was cool and relaxing, a luxury in this hot Unovan day. She got down to scrubbing her arms, the muck came off as a dark gray cloud in the water. It was carried off by the current as fast as it came off her skin. Smugleaf felt gas build up in her belly, a large bubble rose up and belched out of the water as she awed. She looked down at her hands, the filth was all gone. The river had done its trick. She check the other parts of her body and saw it was also clean. Smugleaf stood up and faced towards the current, then urinated. Next she expelled her bodily waste, wasted for a few seconds, then expelled the last bit from her bowels. The river carried it off to who know's where.

Relieved, Smugleaf took out her knife and stuck it in the mud. She knew this trick where caking a dirty surface with mud while it was underwater cleans it better than water alone. Smugleaf wiped the blade's face across the soft mud, shook it off, then wiped again. She pulled it out of the water and checked it, the knife's black surface was sparkling under the sun. Its smooth edge shined with awesome power, it hadn't let her down yet. Smugleaf chuckled and holstered the knife, she swam just 5 meters up the river before taking a drink. It tasted great. She drank a lot, unbearably thirsty. Smugleaf felt she drank enough water that she might turn into a water-type Pokémon, _Hopefully not a wotter_. She thought, thinking about Oshawotts who lay on their backs, letting the river carrying them away to La La Land.

Smugleaf stepped out of the water and stretched again, she thought about going back to camp but thought against it. She doesn't need it anymore, she was done with it. Smugleaf simply laid down at the river's bank and stretched out her leafy tail, then bask under the blazing sun. Right away she felt photosynthesis taking hold. It felt like a soft prickling sensation at first, but it soon resolved itself, feeling more like a deep tissue massage. She sighed, folding up her arms and drifted off into yet another short nap.

**. . .**

She remembered how she got to where she was, Smugleaf still had nightmares of that fateful day. Every time she thought back at it, she felt its terror in full force. Smugleaf was forced to relive the events almost every night, thankfully most of the nightmares weren't that terrifying. Though once a month, a nightmare would force her awake in a cold sweat.

It was a year ago on a bright sunny evening, much like the one Smugleaf was enjoying now, shining over a large meadow in the back country. It was late spring, the flowers were fully bloomed, displaying their beauty like models in a pageant. Smugleaf was with her trainer, Alice Stucky, a girl in her early teens who works at the local store in a small town down south. Stucky wore a green bandanna and a green store clerk uniform. Her hair was muddy brown; like rich wet earth. She used to be blond long ago, however her hair darkened when she got older. Stucky was a beginning trainer, she had only been Pokémon training for 5 months. Smugleaf was her starter Pokémon, Stucky had picked her because she had a generous charm and lovely personality about her. Heck, Alice named her Smugleaf because she always seen her little Snivy with a smile.

At the meadow, Alice and Smugleaf were having a picnic. Smugleaf stood on top of her trainer's bag, trying to peak over the picnic table to get a look at the food. Alice was making sandwiches, the usual tomato, cheese and lettuce sandwiches so popular in Unova. Smugleaf watched with curiosity as her trainer cut the tomatoes with a knife. The carbon-steel knife she always used in cooking. She sliced each section of tomatoes in half centimeter thick sections, making sure they were well cut and not mushed by the blade. Alice sat the knife aside and made the sandwiches. Smugleaf felt her mouth water, she reached up with her tiny hands and begged for a sandwich. Alice smiled, and handed her one. That was the best sandwich Smugleaf ever had in her entire life.

They were soon back at the store around sunset. Alice was busy tending to the counter while little Smugleaf wondered around the store, gazing at the seemingly endless shelves of food. She was stuck at the freezer section, staring at the ice cream stocked behind the store fridge. Her eyes fixated around the yummy mint chocolate brand. Smugleaf loved mint chocolate. She pressed her face against the freezer door, her breath fogged the glass as her mouth drooled. The taste of ice cream was insatiable, she didn't know how the humans made it, nor did she cared, she loved the stuff and couldn't have enough of it. It was a long time since Smugleaf last had a cup of ice cream . . .

The first sign of trouble was when she heard Alice gasped, saying out loud that she forgotten her bag at the meadow. Smugleaf, however, wasn't paying attention, she was still over the ice cream section as Alice ran out of the store. She had no idea how long she stood there, staring at the ice cream while drool dripped on the floor. By the time Smugleaf was done ogling, she head back to the checkout counter.

Only to find it left unintended.

Smugleaf panicked, Alice was gone. She never leave without little Smugleaf. No, that wasn't like her. No way! Smugleaf searched the store, she checked the bathroom, the back office. Even the storage room in the back. Alice was nowhere to be found. Smugleaf could barely contain her tears. Why would Alice leave her little Smugleaf? Why? What was so important to her that she just left her there? Smugleaf couldn't handle it. She had to find her trainer. Find Alice. Surely it was unintentional, of course it was. It was!

Smugleaf wandered outside, the full moon lit up the night sky, blackening all but the brightest starts. Under the moonlight, Smugleaf found her trainer's footprints. The dirt around them was kicked, telling Smugleaf she was running. No surprise there, she left in a hurry. She followed the footsteps and it lead her to the meadow, the trail went cold from there. Smugleaf looked around, the darkness made the beautiful meadow feel so sinister. Like something evil was lurking.

Smugleaf searched the place, she was scared. She wanted to go home, wanted to be with Alice. Wanted both. Smugleaf called out for Alice, crying out her little Smugleaf was here and was scared. She wasn't looking when she jabbed her foot underneath an exposed root. Smugleaf tripped, her shins digging into the grass. She cried a little bit, the fear factor turning up a notch every second she spent on the ground. When the pain subsided, she looked up.

And there was Alice's bag. That brown shoulder bag well used from years of traveling. It sat where Alice left it, by the picnic table. Smugleaf walked up to the back and opened it up. Inside was a couple of books, Alice's green Pokédex, and a Poké ball. Smugleaf's Poké ball. Hmm, maybe there was clues in here to figure out where she went.

Just as she was dumping it out on the grass, she felt someting sneaking up from behind. Smugleaf spun around and froze, it was a Houndoom. A big one. It looked quite mad. Smugleaf realized she stumbled into its territory. Its lips were covered with blood, fresh blood. It fed recently. What did it ate, exactly?

Smugleaf got her answer when the Houndoom spat out Alice's bandanna.

She screamed, both in terror and in grief. Hot tears trail down her face as her voice echoed across the meadow. Smugleaf couldn't believed it, the Houndoom had _ate _her trainer! Killed her in cold blood. Smugleaf tried to beg for mercy, but the Houndoom was malevolent. It unleashed a Flamethrower, the whole meadow quickly caught ablaze. Smugleaf quickly gathered Alice's things back into her bag and ran off, she didn't look back.

When Smugleaf got back to the store, she hid in the storage room and cried. Smugleaf clutched her trainer's bandanna in her hands. It probably wasn't even an hour when Alice died. The blood was still fresh, still red. Still _warm_. Smugleaf lost her cool. She pound her fist on the concrete floor and rolled around like a helpless baby, crying for someone to help her. That was the worst moment of her life, how the world turned on her. Smugleaf was still young, really young. She was barely a few weeks old when Alice took her in. Alice Stucky was more than her trainer, she was like a mother and a friend, a best friend. Alice tucked her in bed every night, sang soft nighty night songs when she had trouble sleeping, nursed her back to health when sick. Alice fed her, bathed her, and most importantly, trained her. Smugleaf was a fast learner. She won a few battles, lost a couple. Overall, she done pretty good.

Smugleaf got up and kicked her trainer's bag in frustration, the contents spilled out, and the knife clattered to the floor.

She quickly took notice of the knife. Smugleaf picked it up and studied it. The sight of her trainer cutting the tomatoes came to mind, then the Houndoom's vile appearence. Slowly, Smugleaf's innocence dissolved into bitter hatred. She wanted revenge, wanted to give the Houndoom what it deserved for taking away her trainer. Forget Pokémon battling, Smugleaf would take care of the Dark Pokémon the _other_ way.

So she went back to the meadow and picked up Houndoom's scent. Tracked him down into the forest, right to his den. The bastard was sleeping, curled up on his small dirt bed. Before he could react, Smugleaf took the knife and slit its throat. No, it wasn't a single clean swipe across the neck. That only worked in the movies. She worked the knife like a saw while trapping the Houndoom with her vines, the Dark Pokémon struggled until the edge of her knife was grinding against the bone. It was what he get. What he get for hurting little Smugleaf. Now he felt her wrath. Her wrath. _Her _wrath!

She stood there, panting deep breaths. Blood covered the cave walls, her hands, and the knife, while she stare down at the corpse. Smugleaf had taken its life. Strangely, she felt good about it. She looked at the knife, the way it executed the Houndoom with ease. It was more sharper than she thought, its going to be quite a useful tool. Smugleaf made an insane laugh, then left the cave. She head back to her trainer's house and took a shower, then went back to the store and stashed the knife behind a dumpster in the parking lot. She planned to come for it later. After taking her trainer's bag home, she grabbed the bloody bandanna and went to the police.

Smugleaf had it planned, yet she wasn't really acting. She walked in crying, the Officer Jenny at the reception desk went up to her asked what was wrong. Smugleaf showed her the bandanna, Officer Jenny realized something bad had happened. Right away she asked where Alice was, Smugleaf just shook her head and hugged Officer Jenny's leg, crying in misery.

When morning came, news of Alice Stucky's disappearance spread. A search party started at the store, then it went to the meadow and forest. Within a few hours, they found Alice, or was left of her. The Houndoom had burnt her, eaten most of her organs, and dumped the remains in a ditch for the scavengers to find. The autopsy concluded that the bite marks were caused by a Houndoom, the search party went back out to a known Houndoom den. They found the Houndoom in question. Dead. A necropsy concluded that the Dark Pokémon was actually killed by something sharp, but the medical examiner wasn't sure what type of knife was used. DNA test on the bloodstains around its mouth confirmed that it belonged to Alice. Not a sliver of suspicion was placed on little Smugleaf that she had killed the Houndoom.

When Smugleaf told the news, she was surprised. For one thing she hadn't thought they found the Houndoom, yet the news of finding her trainer's body pretty much confirmed she was really dead. Since there wasn't much left of her, it was a closed-casket funeral.

As everyone paid their respects, Smugleaf hugged Alice's mom. Mrs. Stucky looked like an older Alice, yet her hair was black. Not brown. Mrs. Stucky did her best to comfort Smugleaf, but she couldn't comfort herself. Heck, how can anyone cheer up when a young kid gets mutilated by a wild Pokémon?

After the funeral, Smugleaf went to the nearby Pokémon Center. She sat patiently in the seats, waiting for what the local professor planned to do with her. Eventually she got bored waiting and decided to explore the place. The Nurse Joy wasn't there, she was off on a doctor's call to a sick Scrafty or something. The Pokémon Center was quite deserted, so she had free access for only a few hours. Smugleaf searched the rooms without touching anything, trying not to disturb the sleeping Audinos as she poked around. She then came across a room where she overheard the professor, speaking to Officer Jenny. Smugleaf pressed her ear to the wall, and eavesdropped in on the conversation. The professor was talking about her, deciding what to do with her. Eventually one sentence hit home.

"I think the new trainer would like Smugleaf. She has the same personality as Alice, so I think they would be best friends."

She pulled herself away from the wall, eyes bulging out of her skull. No way. No way that anyone could replace Alice! Smugleaf felt betrayed, sick, if she hadn't lost it before she did now.

Wait a second, the knife! The knife Alice used to cut the tomatoes!

The last thing Smugleaf remembered from that day was that she ran out of the Pokémon Center back to Alice's store, fetched the knife from behind the dumpster, and ran off into the wilderness. Her Pokémon battling days were officially over, and with it, her life in human captivity.

Smugleaf had drifted from town to town, seeing the sights. In the wilderness, she checked out the local Pokémon population, carrying the knife with her. Somewhere near the coast, Smugleaf laid eyes on a Tepig. The fat little Fire Piggy was sniffing around some bushes, his nose dugged straight down to the roots. Smugleaf hid in the bushes, watching as the Tepig sniffed in the bushes. She stared at its rear end, watching its tail sway side by side. It was like it was trying to invite something.

She felt urges took hold, unusual urges, urges that her Mama explained that one needs to satisfy time and time again. Smugleaf tried fighting back, but it overwhelmed her body. Grabbing her around the belly, pulsing hot adrenaline into her veins. The tail continued to sing. Yes, that rear end. That ball thing on its tail . . . Oh, yes. Yes.

Smugleaf couldn't deny herself now, her heart raised. That tail, that rear. What was happening to her? Urges, it was the urges. What were the urges? Her heart couldn't handle it anymore, it was going into the red zone, ready to explode out of her chest. She must, she must!

Smugleaf stepped out of the bushes and let out an ear-catching whistle, the kind of whistle people use to catch the opposite sex's attention. The Tepig stupidly spun around, startled from his little moment.

That was when Smugleaf shotgun-blast him with Attract.

Hearts exploded from the Tepig's eyes, his tongue hanged out as he gazed at Smugleaf. Oh, he was interested. Really interested. Stupid little pig Pokémon, he had no idea what he was in for. Smugleaf dropped on her back, and the Tepig dove right in.

And _t__hat_, was the first time Smugleaf ever mated. It felt exhilarated, the Tepig's body structure was quite unusual to work with but she learned quickly. Throughout the ritual, Smugleaf felt powerful, like she conquered the world. She also felt stupid because this Tepig wasn't her species. Doesn't matter really. Not too many Pokémon seen their own kind for a good part of their days.

After 10 minutes, the Tepig flopped on the ground exhausted. The deep pants he gave off were heavy with fatigue. Smugleaf stared at the sky, smiling with pride. It was the first time since Alice's murder that she felt happy. More than that, she felt better than before. When she hatched from her egg at the Pokémon breeding lab, Mama explained to her behind the professor's back, even _showing _her how the "process" went down. Noting what the male part does to the female part. She figured it all out just a week before Alice took her in. Smugleaf always wanted to try it, see if her Mama was right about it feeling good.

And Mama was right.

And by golly it felt better than she imagined. Smugleaf sat up and stretched, then notice the Tepig coming to. Uh-oh, if the Attract wear's off. The Tepig would realize it didn't actually "like" it at all. No, no way he could ruin her little moment.

Before the Tepig realized she duped him, Smugleaf had her blade ready. A single stab right through the heart, and the Tepig went down instantly.

That was the first time she ever killed an innocent Pokémon. It didn't really matter. Its a dog eat dog world, only she was the more vicious dog. Oh dogs, Pokémon dogs. She remembered the last time she had to deal with one.

Smugleaf figured out how to skin the Tepig's hide and gut the organs, once the grease ball was cooked Smugleaf ate part of him. The Tepig's body fat made it taste so good, she wondered why few stores sell it. People would make a living off of this. Smugleaf couldn't finished it, she was so full that another bite would force her stomach open. She burned off the remains and began work with the hide.

As the hide dries, it turn from orange and black to a brown and gray. Smugleaf used the knife and trimmed off the gray part, then cut up the gray leather in small strips. She used the strips as stitching as she molded the hide to the shape of her knife. Sowing was easy, she used a piece of bone from the Tepig's skeleton and forced it through the leather. It was crude, but impressive enough to please a professional. The holster part was complete. She then used the left over brown leather and made thick strips of it, tying it into the leather to form cross straps on the holster. When she finished, she put on the holster like a backpack. It felt a bit itchy, but time would make it more comfortable. Smugleaf fitted the knife into the holster. It was a tight squeeze. Suppose to be, otherwise it would fall out when turned upside down.

Now with a proper holster, Smugleaf's hands were freed. Everything after that was a blur, since she had no commitment to nail down. Her usual activities were pleasure activities, food and mating. That was about it.

Smugleaf woke from her nap, the sun was still somewhat midway from the top of the sky to the horizon. She sat up and stared out over the river, the crystal clear water flowed with ease and tranquility. Smugleaf sighed and laid back down. Among the many Pokémon she mated, she thought about trying other females, just to see what the same sex feels like. She got lucky when she encountered an Emolga, a very jumpy one from some crazy breeder lab. Smugleaf knew that Attract won't work her own gender, but she do know that females are just as smart and dumb as males. Mostly smart, of course. This female Emolga was nowhere near smart, she was just as clueless as the Pokémon before her.

It was easy ensnaring the Emolga, it was also easy persuading her. The trick with cute and furry Pokémon was to groom them with care. The Emolga panicked at first, almost unleashed a Thundershock. But she calmed down enough for Smugleaf to work with. With a gentle voice, Smugleaf kept the Emolga tame and subtle. First she snuggled with her, then cradled her. Persuasion was painstakingly long, one false move would blow it. Smugleaf's charm hit home. The Emolga quickly grew a liking with her, and Emolga got to business.

Smugleaf laughed thinking back on it. It wasn't actually mating, her vines did most of the work. The thought of putting the vines in places where they don't belong would creep any sane person out. But things that normally don't belong doesn't mean they can't do it.

The end result was like any other, the Emolga fell flat on her face in exhaustion, leaving Smugleaf with an expanded range of choices. Smugleaf decided to leave the Emolga where she lay, she wanted her to tell the tale of her devious misadventure. Would other Pokémon believe it? Probably not. Why should they? Why should they believe that two members of the same gender would. . .

_What a paradox._ Smugleaf chuckled.

A twig snapped behind her, forcing Snivy out of her head and back to reality. She held her breath and listened, the nearby bushes were stirring. Twigs snapped, leaves shuffle. The light footfalls of a bi-pedal Pokémon scooted its way into her private bubble. No wait, it sounded two bi-pedal Pokémon. Three?

Smugleaf cringe, she had company. _Unwanted _company.

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that were created by someone else**

**Notice: For news and updates about my stories, go to my profile**

_Chapter III_

Smugleaf drew her knife as she spun around. Two water-type Pokémon stood before her. One of them looked like a Panpour, the other a Dewott. The Panpour looked quite derpy, confused. One of its eyes lazily drift to the side as it struggled to focus on her. But Smugleaf could tell that there was fear in his eyes. Heavy fear. The Dewott on the other hand looked pissed. It seemed to be a control-freak. Maybe the Dewott was the Panpour's handler or something.

Despite the conflicting personalities, the two water-types meant business. Smugleaf held her ground, squeezing her knife tightly in the palm of her hand. Right away she noticed the two water-types were holding what looked like modern crossbows. The crossbows, as primitive as they were, looked solidly buill. But they were Pokémon, not humans, it didn't seem right for them to wield weapons.

_ Crossbows, really? _Smugleaf thought,_ their combined Water Gun would knock me into the river and drown me_.

"Dewott, Dewott!" the Dewott commanded, sounding like an asshole. _Stay where you are, Snivy!_

"Panpour, Pan Pan Pan!" added the Panpour. _Don't make sudden moves, or we'll shoot!_

Smugleaf nodded, slowly she slipped her knife back into its holster, then held up her hands. Whatever they were here for, Smugleaf was sure it was for a good reason. They might be here because she probably killed one of their friends. Maybe they were Pokémon looking to claim a bounty on her for her actions. Smugleaf saw the look in the Dewott's eye, she knew what it want and she doesn't like it. It had something malicious in mind.

"Scrafty," said a twanged country voice of a Scrafty, "Scrafty, Scraf Scraf Scraf." _Wotter. Stand down boy, no need to get riled up over a misses._

Several bi-pedal Pokémon emerged from the woods, all of them were carrying crossbows and .22-rifles. The one in the middle was a Scrafty, onewith a particularly large crest. Strands of hairs on his crest were turning white, suggesting the Scrafty was old and maybe had experience that came from ancient times. Smugleaf wasn't sure how old Scrafty's could get, but modern technology can extend anyone's life for so long. The Scrafty clutched a AK-47, loaded with a 100 round drum magazine. The AK-47 didn't look new, but it sure was well-maintained. It had a red-dot sight attachment, select-fire, a fore-grip attachment. There was also a crude suppressor on the barrel, looked home-made, probably done by a machinist. The Scrafty held the modified AK-47 in his hands, Smugleaf noticed its left hand was shaking badly. He struggled to control it by holding the fore-grip with a tight grip.

"Scrafty," the Scrafty said again in a calm voice, "Scraf Scraf, Scrafty Scraf." _Wotter, stand down, she's too strong for you anyway._

Wotter glared at the Scrafty for a moment, then stepped back. The Scrafty turned to Smugleaf with a calm look on his face, he smiled through his permanent sneer, "That's Wotter," he said in human speech, "he keeps the rest of these Pokémon up in line."

Wotter nodded in agreement. Smugleaf blinked, she hadn't met another Pokémon who spoke human before. The Scrafty took note of this and continued,

"Now I know what you may be wondering. Who are we, what are we doing with weapons, how can I talk, and why is my hand shaking like I have bad anxiety?"

Smugleaf raised an eyebrow.

"Thought I didn't catch that? I have Parkinson's Disease, had it for a long time. Eever since I was in my Pokémon battling days. I had it under control. Well, most of the time," the Scrafty pointed the assault rifle in the air, freeing his trembling arm. He tuck the arm behind his back where Smugleaf couldn't see it, "Name's Nobark Westinghouse, youngin'. I'm the leader of the Pokémon Resistance Army, we're an armed Pokémon militia fighting for the freedom and independence of our fellow Pokémon.

"We know that you can talk, we know you have experience using that knife. We also know that you kill. No, scratch that, you _rape _and kill Pokémon for your own amusement because it makes you feel powerful. It also help block out the terrible nightmares you were having about your dead trainer. Wotter was following you around for weeks, he listened in as you talk in your sleep. Yes, we also know you can speak the human language, which is why I'm speaking to you in human. We know that you rape, kill, and eat many of your victims. We know how you play with their internal organs, we know that you masturbate with them . . ."

Nobark went on and on, talking non-stop of what she done with her victims. Smugleaf tried not to yawn. She was bored, and pissed, but a part of her felt soothed by the sound of his voice. He was an elder with great know how, yet old age was breaking him down like a hammer beating a steak. Who could blame him, it was his right to be wise and share knowledge. Particularly Nobark and his little Resistance Army knew a little too much about Smugleaf, which struck a nerve. Smugleaf dug her nails into the palms of her hands, she started feeling sweat trail down the back of her neck. For a long time, she didn't know she could sweat up to this point.

". . . Why did we approach you today?" Nobark said, "We needed to know who we're actually dealing with. So tell me, Snivy. What's your story?"

The other Pokémon leaned forward, seemingly eager to hear her answer.

Smugleaf bit down on her teeth, trying to figure out an answer, "My name's Smugleaf," she said, "and I appreciate it if none y'all eavesdrop in my business."

"We haven't interfere with your little moments," said Nobark, "you expect to be alone out in a forest full of wild Pokémon?"

Smugleaf sighed, "No, I don't. I see your point."

"We're looking for someone who can smash a few heads together," said Nobark, "Keep discipline in check. Wotter's doing a fine job, but right now he's overwhelmed. We also need someone who can boost moral as well, and you have the charms to do it."

A nerve snapped, "I'm not a whore!" Smugleaf snarled.

Wotter and the other PRA insurgents clutched their weapons, Nobark kept his cool and explained, "No, of course not. You were brought up like this from curiosity, you just let yourself go when disaster struck you. I'm surprise that the Pokémon yokels around here aren't even aware of your actions yet. Don't get me wrong, Smugleaf, I know you don't really wanna do this. Your head is just stuck up your ass from the fact that your trainer's been murdered. I don't know anything about your trainer, but I can tell you two were close. I was that close with my trainer when he died."

"Suppose we have something in common." muttered Smugleaf.

"Smugleaf, here's the point. I need you and I need you badly. You're the only Pokémon I know of who knows how to make a good time. No, not just quality time between the sheets, but in parties and what not. Not only you can boost moral, you can get stuff done. Get it all done and finish way before the deadline. You're someone who we can rely on, someone to trust. I know you were once that type of Pokémon before whatever happened to you. We wish you to be that Pokémon again, for us and your sanity's sake."

_Rely on? _Smugleaf thought, _nobody's relied on me before . . . __oh wait, Alice . . ._

Then again, Smugleaf realized one thing. She had no friends, completely alone in the world. Her solitude pretty much cut her off from the outside world, and her killing a few Pokémon she come across wasn't helping her much. Smugleaf saw the potential of her own demise, if something – and it will – bad happen to her, she might not rebound from disaster. So it all came down to this fact, she had to trade in her independence for the sake of a group, whom she doesn't know, so they could help each other for some purpose that sound idiotic. Then again, she enjoyed being alone and out in the wilderness. Nobark claimed that he supports the independence of Pokémon. But something told Smugleaf that this group was up to no good, they had crossbows and guns. Heck, Nobark was holding an assault rifle for crying out loud. How could they accomplish a futile goal with nothing but violence?

"What is your background?" Smugleaf asked.

"You heard of Irvin Westinghouse?"

Smugleaf shrugged, "I heard he was one of the greatest Pokémon Masters of all time, him and his grumpy-"

"Pikachu," Nobark finished, "I was once his Pokémon, I fought hard in battles. I enjoyed the freedom he gave to all of us. And the best part – he doesn't treat us as Pokémon, he treats us like people, like we have a voice in the world."

"So what happened?" Smugleaf asked.

"One day, Irvin's time came and he passed away. Heart attack. The first Pokémon to go was his Pikachu, Tesla Westinghouse. His original starter Pokémon. We all looked up to Tesla like he was our big brother, and I mean he was quite a badass. He's like you, but more disciplined and a little more pissy. So when he bailed out, many of his Pokémon bailed as well. I managed to escape with this AK-47 right here. Irvin's a big gun nut you see, very illegal stuff. Knowing the human authorities were going to take it, I managed to grab it, along with a few ammunition clips, and got on a ship sailed for the Unovan mainland. I've been feral ever since."

"When was this?" Smugleaf asked.

"About 5 years ago."

"How long had you been with your trainer?"

"Oh, 50 to 55 years. I had been in when I was very young. Normally Irvin acquires his Pokémon when they were just eggs. When they hatch, he raised them to what he intends to do with him. I was one of two Pokémon he didn't get while in the egg, the other's Tesla."

"So you were with your trainer since you were just a baby Scraggy."

Nobark chuckled, "You should of seen me in the arena. Some days I look like a champ, other days I look like a complete idiot. Given being my mental instability, and later my Parkinson's Disease, those years messed me up. You know, heat-butting the ground isn't really a good idea. I do that just to instill fear in my opponent, but on occasion I would knock myself out on the spot. Since it was Irvin's gym, and under Irvin's rules, he announce his opponent was the victor. Because he was such a good guy and the moment was hilarious."

The other PRA conscripts chuckled in response.

Smugleaf nodded, "Now what were you trying to do with your PRA, is there a bigger goal than Pokémon independence?"

Nobark leaned forward, "Pokémon _rights _as well."

"Oh?"

"Let me give it to you straight: This world is built under the control of human beings, the Pokémon, who are overwhelmingly the majority, are the backbone that keeps their perfect world in order. The global economy is literally built to run off of Pokémon. Pokémon battling is the backbone, which gives off the Pokémon breeding industry and Pokémon social medicine. Don't you see, the humans are using _us _Pokémon for their selfish purposes. Good or evil, it doesn't matter, same sh*t different piles. Your trainer may love you in all, but think of this. Why did she pluck you out of the Pokémon lab in the first place?"

Smugleaf thought for a moment. Yes, Alice wanted to become a Pokémon master, quite an ambitious goal. She did asked the breeder for a Pokémon that had special traits, the kinds that would help it in battle. Smugleaf just so happened to have them, and so Alice chose her . . .

Sh*t.

_Holy crap_, Smugleaf thought, _I knew I was being used, but not on this level!_

That explained why the professor considered dumping her with another trainer, one she doesn't know! Luckily she got out of their in time, Pokémon battling wouldn't be the same. Come to think of it, Smugleaf never really liked Pokémon battling. It had rules, strict rules. Usually played by rock, paper, scissors versus experience. Type advantage, type disadvantage. Size, weight, special moves. Stamina, agility, and strength. Pokémon got to have a certain level of each, just to win and be a victor where few people might bother to record their accomplishments. Was it worth it in the end of a Pokémon battle, even if you won? Was it worth breaking every bone in your body? Was it worth getting your spleen pulverize and risk dying from internal bleeding? Was it worth it being paralyzed by the waist down because some Boufallant decided to stick its horn straight into your back?

No. Damn no! Not even for a hundred-million Pokédollars! Smugleaf knew the rules well, and hated them for what they stand for. She had created her own special set of rules. Rule one: Your manipulated. Rule two: Your killed. Rule three: Your skinned and eaten. The PRA here seemed to follow these three golden rules, indeed they sound like Pokémon she could rely on and vise versa. Smugleaf needed a better direction in life, cause those three rules needed some more meat on the bones.

This PRA would help provide the muscle, she would forge herself some contacts, friends, and even gear for her adventures. When the time comes for her to leave, she would leave given the chance. Already she could tell the PRA's long-term goals won't work, these Pokémon look stupid. Wotter looks quite greedy, like her, but more violent. And Nobark, he would die without warning, probably in his sleep. Maybe he would go insane, and her talking won't get through to him. Well, that was of course a long way's off. Right now he seemed sane, and supportive.

He's right, they needed her. She needed them. But what do they really have besides weapons? Might as well ask him later, she may not like what they have anyway but it was an opportunity. She couldn't turn this down.

Smugleaf looked Nobark in the eye and said, "I see your point. Okay, I'm in. What do I need to do?"

"There's a nearby facility owned by a small branch from Team Rocket. There are Pokémon being held there, against their _will_. We need to get in and bust them out, add new members to join our cause."

"How far's this facility?"

"20 kilometers down the river."

Smugleaf nodded, "Okay, get in, nab them, get out. Simple as that."

Nobark chuckled, "A girl like you keeps her cool, even the toughest challenge seem easy for you. I like that. I'm going to add you as my right-hand Pokémon, what do you say?"

"Sounds like I'm finally doing something with my life, so let's get our buddies out before dinner."

"Alright," said Nobark, "That's a deal!"

**TO BE CONTINUED . . .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that were created by someone else**

**Notice: For news and updates about my stories, go to my profile**

_Chapter IV_

Smugleaf wondered about the PRA's rate of success when doing their missions. At first glance, they were clumsy and stumbling around a lot. One Pokémon repeatedly dropped its crossbow and picked it up, and Wotter had to continuously berate poor the thing. Were these Pokémon new recruits, or were they just complete amateurs? How they got into the PRA, Smugleaf don't wanna know, she doesn't need to know.

When the PRA made it to the facility in question, Smugleaf was disappointed. The compound was a small one, not really impressive. It looked more like a warehouse for welding equipment, the Miller logo displayed on the face of the building was cracked and bleached, the parking lot was growing weeds. Everything that could age was old and needed to be replaced. This place was derelict for a long time, yet it was recently bought. Smugleaf could see security guards walking around, they were young and fit. Fresh from the latest generation. They whistled a tune while swinging their batons around their cords. If Smugleaf had to rate these guards for their effectiveness, she would give them a big fat zero. These rent-a-cops were trained to deal with petty thieves, not professional burglars. Heck, whose to say the PRA were professional burglars?

The group sat on a cliff overlooking the facility as day turned to night, the vegetation was enough to break up their outline. Everyone laid perfectly still. The human eye, trained or not, can pick up movement in the shadows. Even in darkness. Smugleaf laid on her belly, watching the guards shrug along the sides of the warehouse with a pair of binoculars. Wotter sat beside her, she could feel his eyes scanning her back instead of the warehouse. The Dewott should be keeping his peepers pointed to the building, but obviously he had something else in mind.

"Dewott De?" Wotter asked. _Do you have any siblings?_

"Sniv Snivy Sniv." Smugleaf replied in her Pokémon language, keeping her eyes on facility. _I __have a younger brother_.

"Dewott?" _Where's he?_

Smugleaf shrugged, "Snivy Snivy Sniv, Snivy Snivy Sni." _Last that I heard, he was making millions_.

"Dewott Dewott, De?" _Does he have a name, like you?_

"Snivy, Sni Sni Snivy." _Grasshole, because he's quite an ass_.

Wotter lit up, "Dewott, Dewott!" _Oh, I watch his show on TV!_

"Snivy Sni?" _The Grasshole Show?_

"De!" _Yeah!_

Smugleaf chuckled, and said in human speech, "Well, then you also know he speaks human."

"How did you speak human, Smugleaf?" Nobark asked as he came along.

"About three weeks ago, I was wondering in a back alley in Straton City. I was rummaging through a trashcan when suddenly I found something of interest. It was a couple of worn out paperback books. One was an outdated dictionary, the other was a novella written decades ago. I took them, because I thought they might worth my while. First I read the dictionary, from cover to cover, twice. Reading the pronunciation and all that was hard, but it came to me, somehow. Then I read the novella. It was a good book, eventually I try to say the written words out loud. First single words, then sentence, then paragraphs. Until finally I finished the book speaking two different languages.

"I learned a similar way," said Nobark, "Irvin was very thorough with his teaching. My voice sounded like sandpaper when I tried to speak the human language. Eventually I learned to speak the language, then read the language. I was well-read before I found myself with a shaking arm."

"Outstanding."

Nobark sat cross-legged next to Smugleaf, setting down his AK-47, "Tesla knows how to speak human as well, learned it a similar way. He too was well-read, he even documented his thoughts with his own hand."

"You're close with Tesla?" Smugleaf asked.

"Like I said, he was like a big brother. Mostly a mentor, but like a big brother. We both know what would become of us once Irvin passed, and we were right."

"Where is he now?"

"Running from the law in our trainer's hometown, you heard of Faraday Island?"

"Unova's rebellious province?"

"Yeah, he's stuck in the city with the same name. Living off the trash while avoiding Pokémon trainers and cops. I felt bad about him, he pretty much inspired me to start up the PRA in the first place."

Smugleaf sat up and stretched her arms, "So what's the plan?" she asked, getting back on task.

"Wotter will create a diversion," said Nobark, "then you and me sneak in and free the Pokémon. Everybody else would be our support if things go awry."

"Do we know where Team Rocket keeps these Pokémon?" Smugleaf asked.

"The center of the building, away from the windows and such. They can scream all they want, but nobody won't hear them. They will be in cages, so we'll need to find the keys unless we can pick the locks."

"I know how to pick locks." said Smugleaf.

Nobark smiled through his sneer, "This might go smoothly then."

**. . .**

The new moon helped a lot, the PRA could stick to the shadows for almost the whole mission. Maybe even hold the element of surprise for the _entire _mission. Smugleaf figured that the integrity of the mission lay with her, it was just her and this Nobark. She liked the old Scrafty, he had lived his life to its fullest, now he was spending his golden years chasing a cause that he might never achieve. Maybe he would be the stepping stone for it, might happen years after his death. Maybe Smugleaf would live long enough to see it happen.

For her, it would start here, in this facility. Smugleaf had heard of Team Rocket, but wasn't too sure what they really do. Kidnap and sell Pokémon, yes. But what were the conditions? She was going to find out.

"Okay," said Nobark, "Everyone's in place, once Wotter start the music we would slip in while the humans are distracted."

"What's he gonna do?" Smugleaf asked.

"He's going to rig a few trucks' alarm systems to go off, it should be enough to wake up the entire neighborhood."

Smugleaf chuckled, "They're going to think it was the local delinquents."

"Maybe," said Nobark, "Unless they saw Wotter escaping."

"You sure he knows what he's doing?"

"Our techies built several small jamming devices, he's going to attach them underneath the trucks, somewhere out of reach. They have a timer, they would trigger the alarms and keep them going for two hours, that way the humans can't deactivate the alarms with simple electronic keys. If it comes to it, they would have to pop open the hoods and rip the batteries out."

"Which takes time." added Smugleaf.

"Exactly."

A car alarm went off, followed by another. The alarms blared in a repeating tone, shattering the silence like a freight train. Birds were rudely awaken from their nests and took to the skies, their angry calls deadened by the alarms. The security guards patrolling the warehouse took note of the trucks, a few muttered into their radios to report the noise. Overall, the guards stayed in place. Smugleaf tried to look for the trucks. She found them, they were just down the street. The placement of the buildings made sure that most of the noise gets funneled towards the targeted warehouse. Some people came out complaining about the noise, eventually a whole crowd of nocturnal folks showed up to investigate.

When the guards notice several other security personnel taking to the streets, they finally abandoned their posts to see what was going on, "Now's our break," said Nobark, "Let's move."

Nobark ordered the Panpour to keep the PRA on the cliff, not to act unless they heard gunshots. The old Scrafty then took Smugleaf down the cliff up to the chain-linked fence.

"Let's hope these ole muscles still have what it takes." said Nobark, he stretched his arms and raised his AK-47.

Smugleaf and Nobark climbed the fence and dropped to the other side. They took cover behind some wooden crates, sticking to the shadows as they made their way into the facility. They then climb down the ladder into a trench. Nobark led Smugleaf to an iron grate from what appeared to be covering a drainage pipe, the grate was rusted and brittle, ready to break. Nobark sat down his assault rifle and positioned himself in front of the grate, he grabbed the sides with both hands and plowed his head into it. The grate broke upon impact, shattering into pieces while kicking up dust. The noise was muted by the car alarms, no one suspected a thing.

"You shouldn't be doing that." Smugleaf advised.

"It doesn't hurt," said Nobark as he picked up his gun, "Besides, I only do it when I need to."

Nobark crawled into the drainage pipe and Smugleaf followed behind. The pipe was a tight squeeze, Smugleaf thanked herself for not being claustrophobic. She struggled to crawl through the small tunnel, trying her best not to breathe too much. No telling what kind of muck this warehouse drains. It doesn't smell, so it couldn't be sewage. She questioned Nobark's logic in coming into the warehouse through a drainage pipe, where does it lead?

"Pat," muttered a chirpy voice, "Patrat."

A loud thump of a metal object thundered down the pipe, it sent a shiver down Smugleaf's spine, "Shut up, you little rodent!"

The pipe opened up to a large concrete pit, faint florescent light shined down through a floor grate above them. Smugleaf looked up and saw a Team Rocket grunt tormenting a Patrat. The Patrat was stuck in a cage, a really small cage. The roof of the cage forced the Scout Pokémon to hunch over in an uncomfortable position. Smugleaf was appalled, the cage might break its back if it were dropped. Nobark pulled Smugleaf to the side of the concrete pit, the two held their breath and hid in the shadows, watching the scene unfold.

"Patrat," the Scout Pokémon muttered again, "Pat."

The grunt jabbed his baton into the Patrat's side, it gave off a loud squeal, "I said shut up," barked the grunt, "Don't you rodents ever listen!?"

The Patrat said nothing, it hunched over and passed out. The grunt held the Patrat's head up with the tip of his baton, laughing to himself. Smugleaf could see the keys to the Patrat's cage, clipped to the grunt's belt, "That's better, and stay quiet, you little rat!"

The guard left the room, slamming the door behind him. Nobark quietly stepped out of the shadows, then sighed, "He's knocked out cold, poor thing."

"What kind of place is this?" Smugleaf asked.

"The stuff of horrors," said Nobark, "This is where poached Pokémon wound up, sold off to a black market, where they're forever enslaved. What you saw here is nothing compared to their HQ. If Team Rocket has any Pokémon with signs of resistance, even a tiny spark of defiance, they are killed and their bodies dumped in the septic tank."

"Holy shh . . ." Smugleaf felt her voice caught, she pressed her temples and stared up at the grate, then exhaled, "How do we get up there?"

Nobark looked around, "Over there."

A ladder was bolted to the concrete, leading up to a grate door. Nobark started up the ladder and Smugleaf followed suit. The eerie silence made her skin crawl, if the trucks' alarms were still blaring, then the sound didn't reach her. The evil of this place was so strong, she could feel its weight pressing upon her shoulders. Nobark reached the top of the ladder, he thrust himself up and broke the grate door free. He swung it open and helped Smugleaf up.

"You okay?" Nobark asked.

Smugleaf nodded, "Yeah, just a little shaken up."

"I knew you still have a heart, just learn how to control it."

"Okay."

Nobark stepped over to the door and opened it a crack, he peaked through and whispered, "Bastard's leaning on a chair by that desk, put him out of his misery. Quietly."

Smugleaf drew her knife and extended her two vines. Nobark widened the crack of the door, just enough for her to slip through. Sure enough, the guard was watching the TV. The room was dark, only a single lightbulb from a nearby desk lamp and the glow of the television screen lit the room. The baton sat in the middle of the desk, surrounded by half eaten donuts and empty candy wrappers. The grunt laughed at something at the TV, his laughter ironically concealed Smugleaf's footfalls. She got right behind him, the knife clamped firmly in her hand.

She gave the grunt no time to react, Smugleaf wrapped a vine around the grunt's neck and threw it back. A let out a loud crack, the grunt's arms went limp as he struggled to breathe. The knife went straight into his back, right into his kidneys. She gave it a hard twist and the grunt stopped moving. Smugleaf dropped the body on the floor and snatched the keys, she held it up for Nobark to see.

"A bit of overkill," said Nobark, "But very good."

Smugleaf handed the keys to Nobark and he approached the Patrat's cage, "Hang on, friend," said Nobark, he hoisted the AK-47 onto his back and tightened the gun sling, "We're going to get you outta here."

Nobark stuck the key in the big padlock and gave it a twist, the lock clicked loose. He pulled the lock off the hasp and opened up the cage, "Help me here, Smugleaf."

Smugleaf holstered the knife helped carry the Patrat out of the cage, "We gotta get him to a Pokémon Center."

"We have our own doctors back at camp," said Nobark, "They'll take care of him. All we need to worry about is getting him out of here."

Smugleaf hoisted the Patrat on her, "Back the way we came?" she asked.

"Yeah." said Nobark.

Nobark went down first, then Smugleaf. She went steady down the ladder, gripping the bars with sweaty palms. Smugleaf wrapped a vine around the Patrat for a better grip, she made it down without a problem.

"Let's get outta here," said Nobark, "No telling if the PRA started shooting yet."

Nobark went through the pipe first, then Smugleaf followed. He pushed the unconscious Patrat through the pipe first and followed suit. The Patrat barely squeezed through, Smugleaf had to push most of the way just to make ground. Hot sweat trail down her neck as she pushed her way through the pipe. It was getting difficult to breathe, she coughed as she fought through the dust. The Patrat's dead weight was zapping her strength. She told herself not to rest, she didn't wanna spend another moment in the drainage pipe more than she had to.

"Here we are," said Nobark, "Here, let me help."

Nobark pulled the Patrat out and Smugleaf climbed out of the drainage pipe. She breathed in fresh air and exhaled, "Out of there at last."

The trucks alarms were still going, this time there was more of a commotion. Smugleaf took the Patrat and hoist the Scout Pokémon on her back, her two vines wrapped firmly around him for support, "Let's go," said Nobark, "we're done here."

**. . .**

The PRA slipped out unnoticed by the humans. Nobark led the group back to the river, heading upstream. They reached a checkpoint where they stopped to rest. Nobody considered starting a fire, they were too exhausted to do anything else. An Audino tended to the Patrat, keeping his head elevated and his back aligned. The small cage had did him in, it would be weeks before he fully recovered. Smugleaf laid on her back from a job well done, she was just about to sleep when someone tapped her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw Nobark looking down at her through the darkness, "We're resting for 10 minutes, then we'll move out. We won't stop until the next hour."

"Where are we going?" Smugleaf asked.

"PRA Headquarters, its 40 kilometers away. We'll be walking all night and morning."

Smugleaf yawned and sat up, "Will Team Rocket be after us?"

"We have to assume they're tracking us down right now. Smugleaf, I know you're a hunter in all, but you're now the _hunted_. You got to get use to that, either you like it or not."

"I work my way around obstacles before, I can handle it."

Nobark sat down across from Smugleaf, "You did good Smugleaf, kept things simple. You were quick on that grunt, how do you feel?"

"Tired," said Smugleaf, "I need to wash, you have a river near HQ?"

"Better, we have showers. Solar-heated showers."

Smugleaf lit up, "Hot water?"

Nobark nodded, "Yup."

"What about food?"

"We grow some of our food, but we often raid industrial warehouses. If we want to get ice cream, for example."

"I hadn't had ice cream in months!" Smugleaf scratched her chin and asked, "What about living space?"

"We have a lot of space, we'll have a bedroom for you. Walls are concrete, so they're soundproof. You'll have all the privacy if you want if you stick a sock on the doorknob."

"What about . . . You know, special creature comforts?"

"We have Pokémon who are very interested in keeping company, even Wotter might help."

"I think I'll have to pass on Wotter, he's too aggressive if you know what I mean."

Nobark chuckled, "Prefer a more gentler touch?"

"I prefer them soft and stupid. I'm not picky on the gender since all Pokémon look the same."

"You're bisexual?"

Smugleaf nodded, "Yes, my trainer's death messed me up. I'm not ashamed to admit that. My appetite pretty much taken over what's left of me."

"You're not alone there, it's the opposite in my case."

"Oh?"

Nobark sighed, "My sex life is over, I'm old and tired. I was a little like Wotter in my younger days, but more kinder. You ever look at yourself in the mirror and wondered if you could still recognize yourself after so much time goes by?"

"I had, once, after I took care of the Houndoom that killed my trainer," Smugleaf shook her head, "I didn't recognize myself. I used to be happy all the time, now I'm just a cut up version of what I used to be. I have a large void in my life that's going to suck me down into my grave, I might not be as successful as my dumb brother."

"Build yourself up," said Nobark, "Be self-made. That empty part of you is yours to customize. Heck, I named myself Nobark because I don't talk as often. I only talk when I need to."

"I was named Smugleaf because I smile a lot, or used to."

Nobark stood up and pointed a finger at her, "Don't say that, we've seen you smiling often."

Smugleaf frowned, "I was wearing a mask, it wasn't real."

"It's a habit, of course I know it wasn't real. But you _were _smiling, you just don't have any meaning for it yet."

"Meaning? Like the love and affection from a trainer?"

Nobark leaned closer, "Pokémon don't need trainers, they train themselves. They learn by watching others duke it out. Take mental notes. Then try them out later, figuring what works and what doesn't. My ole days were like that, it was a time when the Faraday gov'ment got out of its way and release a lot of restrictions on do hickeys, like this AK here."

"The gov'ment still do that?" Smugleaf asked.

"Only the Faraday gov'ment, not the other regional and provincial gov'ments. They have strict do hicky control laws, so strict that the only crap I managed to get were crossbows and twenty-twos for the PRA conscripts. If the PRA were based on Faraday Island, we would have neat toys. Yet we might not last five minutes against gov'ment forces. Heck, not against a simple police force for crying out loud!

"But here, the usual street cops and motorcycle cops and the automobile cops are simply arms with batons and Pokémon. Batons? Yeah right. Their Herdiers however, are disciplined beasts. Their thick fur holds up well against blunt attacks, maybe some range attacks. Maybe the full force of a sledgehammer on their damn back. Thing is they dish out and take in a lot of punishment. Don't bother fighting Vine Whip or Leaf Storm on them Smugleaf, trim their mustaches a bit with your knife. They won't know what's coming if you get on top of them before they act."

Smugleaf nodded, "So if you get the Herdier out of the way, what does the cop with the baton do?"

"That cop would either run away, or fight. Depending on how touch you are. I had seen human beings harm Pokémon in the past few weeks," Nobark repositioned himself and stretched out his legs, "Now that cop with the baton need to choose to fight or flight. A Pokémon like your size? Easy prey. Size matters in some cases, so the cop would prefer to knock a small Pokémon senseless rather than a big Pokémon, like a Bouffalant. Now if that Pokémon is holding a weapon, such as a knife, a tomahawk, or a gun. That cop will flee, because the Pokémon being boss has a better weapon. Look at all the cops in Unova, had you seen any carry a gun?"

"No."

"All they carry is batons. Yes, you might find an Officer Jenny with a gun, but don't expect it to be a reliable one. Police-issued .38 revolvers can't hit a barn door for sh*t."

"The cop might be trained well with it."

"True, but don't expect him to hit home. He aims for your heart, the torso. They do that because its an easier target to it. I hadn't seen a cop make headshots yet. I got a feeling I might some day. Who knows, I'm just getting too old for that kind of abuse."

Nobark turned towards Wotter, who was sleeping against a rock with his crossbow on his lap, "Scrafty," he said, "Scrafty Scrafty?" _What time is it, Wot?_

Wotter looked up and checked a battery-powered alarm clock, "De De, Wott." _Twenty-three, fifty-two._

"Scrafty Scraf," he turned towards the other PRA members, "Scra Scraf, Scrafty Scraft. Scrafty Scraft!" _Thanks Wotter. Okay guys, breaks over! Time to move out!_

The Pokémon groaned as they got up, Nobark stood up and stretched his legs, "You think you can walk for an hour?" he asked Smugleaf.

"I'd walked longer, I can handle it."

"Okay then, let's go. We'll throw a party at the HQ when we get there."

Smugleaf smiled, this time her smile wasn't a mask.

**THE END!**


End file.
